


The Object Lesson

by sheep



Category: Bandom, Jonas Brothers, The Academy Is...
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-15
Updated: 2012-01-15
Packaged: 2017-10-29 13:59:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/320680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheep/pseuds/sheep
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike's in a rut, has been since the band broke up, but there's an open bar at this party and that usually helps.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Object Lesson

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the SDS Holiday fix exchange for gemmi999.
> 
> There is a tiny reference to some fairly harmless drug-use, blink and you'll miss it.

Mike has no idea why he’s at this Christmas party. Okay, that’s a lie, he knows why; he got ambushed by Bill and Pete Wentz and their quasi-intervention. If Mike wants to brood on his couch for a few weeks lamenting his life then he is allowed to. He’s twenty-seven, unemployed and even worse unemployable. It ends up a high school diploma and only semi-successful career as a professional musician mean little to most employers. His parents were right; he should have gone to college.

So the intervention of his month-long pity party may have been required but it still doesn’t mean he should be forced to socialise or ‘network’ as Pete put it. It doesn’t help that Mike doesn’t know half these people and the other half he does know; he doesn’t want to talk with.

At least there’s an open bar. Bill and Pete could complain all they want but he wasn’t sitting in the corner. Sitting at the bar let him be social with at least the bartender, who was really quite nice if a bit young. His life wasn’t over like Mike’s was. If only he could be 22 again. Bill had come by 10 minutes before to cluck at him like the mother hen he was prone to be but as Mike had put it, “Baby steps Bill, just be happy I’m still here,” which hadn’t appeased him so much as just made him huff off for a little while.

It’s probably the 4th, 5th (how many beers did he have?) that make Mike not realise he’s sitting next to someone until well he does notice.

“Where did you come from?” Mike says, ruder than he meant to.

“Jersey originally but I’ve been around since.” The man answers with a smile.

“Jersey, I could see why you wanted to travel.” Mike shrugs, playing with his beer bottle. The guy seems to laugh at that, not taking it for the insult it really is. He’s got dark curly hair cut a bit too short and looks familiar but not offended so Mike probably hasn’t slept with him and then forgotten about it.

“Yeah, yeah, make fun of Jersey just like the rest of America. We know we got it going on. Kevin, by the way, Jonas.” Kevin says, extending his hand for a shake.

“I was wondering why I knew you. We used to get stoned and watch your show, well not your show specifically but the Disney channel,” admits Mike, too drunk to be ashamed of that knowledge becoming public. He probably shouldn’t out his band’s - former band’s - bad habits. “How do you know Pete?” Mike asks, even though he know he shouldn't be surprised by the ecclectic group of celebrities at this party.

“Have you met Pete? He knows everyone. I can’t even remember how we met; it may have been during a charity baseball thing or because of it” Kevin says, brow furrowing before shrugging slightly with a smile.

“True, I think I remember a time in kindergarten when I didn’t know him but that time seems vague and unmemorable,” jokes Mike as he waves his heads around in demonstration of the vagueness.

“Are you calling Pete your soul mate?” Jonas teases him and really that’s not fair. Kevin was on the Disney Channel, if anything Mike should be teasing him.

“Yes but at the same time no, because Pete would make a terrible husband. I’d probably only marry him for the money.” Mike says, pretending to give it some real merit.

“You’d be a kept cabana boy?” Kevin asks, arching an eyebrow.

“Jonas, I didn’t know you were allowed to know about those. They’re fun and not wholesome at all.” Mike mocks. He should probably stop this but Kevin just laughs and doesn’t seem to mind at all, which is a good thing because he’s trying to be funny and not an asshole, and sometimes, people don’t get that.

“Two words: the internet” Kevin tells Mike, looking him straight in the eye before turning to the bartender and indicating for another round.

“What are you up to now? You know, besides breaking all of Disney’s taboos.” Mike asks, gesturing towards Kevin’s now empty beer bottle.

“Nothing, getting caught by the paparazzi while going shopping or to sporting events . I’m still working on that whole, life after Disney thing. My brothers know what they’re doing but I still have time, right? What about you?”

“Nothing too. My band just called it quits and with the economy the way it is...” Mike shrugs, making light of it despite the way saying that still makes his chest tighten. “I guess you got replaced by Bieber.” Mike says after a few moments of silence, trying to steer the conversation back to the banter from before.

“Tweenagers are notoriously fickle plus we got old, so old. Legal drinking age old.” Kevin sighs, exaggeratingly bereft.

“And I thought married. Where’s your wife tonight.” Mike asks, feeling a little bit like a stalker after the fact. Kevin just looks amused though before pointing to the far side of the room where Mike could see two very attractive women making-out. “Oh” is all he manages in reply.

“Yeah, we both came to a mutually beneficial arrangement.” Kevin says lowly, imbuing his words with a charged undertone. It takes Mike all of a second before realising that he isn’t just hanging out with a Jonas brother at a bar, he is flirting with one.

“Ooh,” Mike breathes out before taking another swig of beer. This probably isn’t what Pete meant by networking, but Mike thinks this may be better.

“Or we can just continue talking and ignore that last little bit.” Kevin says, for the first time lacking confidence from Mike's lack of reply.

Mike leans towards him instead, with an eyebrow arch of his own, “Or we could not.” Then destroying his own coolness in one fell swoop, “ignore that last little bit, I mean. We should continue talking.” Mike would like to blame the alcohol but in truth, he’s out of the game. Had been even before the month-long pity party.

“I’d like that.” Kevin agrees, mimicking Mike and leaning in as well. That bartender is giving them this knowing little smirk and then Bill’s there. Mike had kind of forgotten about him.

“Darling,” Bill addresses him, “Jonas brother?” Bill addresses Kevin briefly before turning to Mike, asking ‘how, why?’ with his eyebrows.

“Kevin,” Kevin supplies, thrusting his hand out towards Bill for a shake which Bill accepts easily.

“He knows Pete.” Mike furthers, smirking.

“How helpful. I’m William. Michael and I used to be in a band together. We too know Pete.” William says with pomp.

“Thank you William.” Mike says pointedly, hoping Bill gets the message.

“You are very welcome Carden. I can see when I’m unwanted. You two have a lovely evening. I shall be making mischief over there if the night takes you in that direction.” Bill excuses himself with a little bow before giving Michael a ridiculous smile and thumbs up, and sauntering off.

“Friends are embarrassing.” Mike says with a groan, laying his head on the bar.

“Yours sure are.” Kevin agrees cheekily, but he pats Mike on the back and then leaves his hand there so Mike can forgive him. “I don’t ever do this but...” Kevin says, hand falling off Mike’s back as Kevin coughs a little bit and shifts in his seat. Mike raises his head to look at him and doesn’t bother trying to squelch the flutter of hope building in his chest.

“Here’s my number. I think we should hang out some more.” Kevin pulls out a pen from somewhere and writes a number down on one of the nearby cocktail napkins. “And by hangout, I mean go out, as in see each other.” Kevin says, losing his cool in a way that Mike can appreciate.

“I’d really like that. You do know I’m a little bit of a mess right now?” Mike verifies because he did just get picked up at a holiday party where he spent the whole time at the open bar. That, as a pick-up strategy, has never once worked for him before.

“Yeah, well you’re funny and maybe I’m in need of a cabana boy.” Kevin says, flushing a little before looking back up at Mike and smiling. Someone catches his eye and he looks past Mike for a beat before frowning a bit. “Dani just sent me the signal, we’re heading out.” He stands up and hesitates a few seconds before leaning down and kissing Mike firmly on the lips before softening, their mouths moving easy and in time together. It lasts a lot shorter than he wants it to.

"I mean it Mike." Kevin says, pushing the napkin with his number on it into Mike's hand before turning and heading towards the woman he'd pointed out earlier. She looks over at Mike, smirks a bit, and then says something to Kevin that makes him blush and laugh at the same time. Kevin turns and gives Mike a goofy little wave before they both turn and leave, backs disappearing into the crowd. Two seconds later, Mike's adding Kevin into his phone.

It turns out Mike's not unemployable, not if Kevin has a pool.


End file.
